Tips & tricks to help you get the most out of your online advertising.

Conversion-Sabotaging Words, RLSA Strategies, and Other Top Stories from November

I think we can all agree that 2016 has been a hell of a year – and not in a good way.

Although the end may be in sight, so too are the holidays, which is either the most joyous or detestable time of year, depending on your perspective.

While Thanksgiving and the presidential election have given those of us in the States plenty to chew on (literally and figuratively), the rest of November was pretty full-on here at the WordStream blog, too. We won’t be offended if you didn’t catch everything. In fact, just in case you missed something, here are the 10 most popular posts from the WordStream blog in November. We’re nice like that.

Sometimes, it’s easy to become your own worst enemy without even realizing it. This may be the case if you’re using one of the seven conversion-sabotaging words that Brad Smith lays out in our most popular post of the month. We’re sure you’re not using all of them (or, at least, we hope not), but can you say you’re not using any of them? Read on to find out.

Yes, SEO is still a thing, even though Google’s artificial intelligence network RankBrain could well render it obsolete in a few years. Until our robot overlords assume their position at the top of the food chain, check out Larry’s post for six SEO experiments that, as the title promises, will blow your mind. Much like the idea of intelligent learning machines helping you navigate the Web, probably.

Remarketing lists for search ads, better known as RLSA, is one of the most powerful yet misunderstood and misused features of AdWords. Even if you’re already using RLSA in your campaigns, Larry outlines three ideas you can use right now to unlock this amazing feature’s true potential. Essential reading.

Paid search is a remarkably effective way to grow your business, but it can be a little intimidating to newcomers. That’s why we produced this new video series to help small-business owners get the most out of Google AdWords from the get-go. Check out these short instructional videos for a look at how AdWords can help you drive more leads and sales, and how to get started.

Introspection can be a good thing, but it’s surprising how infrequently AdWords advertisers bother to take stock of where their campaigns are headed. In our fifth-most popular post from November, Allen explains why regularly evaluating the health of your PPC campaigns at least once per quarter is a habit you should consider trying to get into – and you don’t have to wait until January 1 to start.

LinkedIn has deservedly taken a lot of heat for the lack of features available to advertisers who choose to promote their services on the platform, but LinkedIn’s Pulse content discovery system can be an extraordinary way to get your content in front of new audiences – if you know how to play the game. In this post, Larry offers 11(!) ways to “hack” the LinkedIn Pulse algorithm and earn yourself some additional exposure.

Love them or hate them, landing pages are among the most important stages of the typical conversion funnel. Unfortunately, they’re also one of the leakiest, and if you’re going to lose a potential conversion, an imperfect landing page could well be the kiss of death. Don’t despair, however, as in this guest post, Instapaper’s Stephanie Mialki offers four actionable ways to make your landing pages more relevant. Lucky, eh?

Admittedly, video marketing isn’t for everyone – but in some industries and verticals, it’s virtually essential. In this post, Margot examines eight industries that absolutely positively must have a video marketing strategy in place – and suggestions for what to do if you don’t.

Sometimes, finding a great 404 Error page can be more satisfying than the content you were hoping to find in the first place. For a little light reading in a month otherwise crammed with inconceivable horrors, take a minute to browse Mary’s round-up of the best 404 Error pages we’ve ever seen (though I’m a little disappointed that MailChimp’s homage to John Carpenter’s 1982 horror classic The Thing didn’t make the list).

Yes, that’s right, it’s time to learn about yet another AdWords extension! Don’t worry though, Affiliate Location extensions are actually really useful. In our final post of this month’s round-up, Mark explains everything you need to know about the latest AdWords extension, and how to get the most out of the new feature in your campaigns.

Dan Shewan

Originally from the U.K., Dan Shewan is a journalist and web content specialist who now lives and writes in New England. Dan’s work has appeared in a wide range of publications in print and online, including The Guardian, The Daily Beast, Pacific Standard magazine, The Independent, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, and many other outlets.